A Book Obsession..: 2 Bfly

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Review: The Antidote by Shelley Sackier

, by KT

The Antidote by Shelley Sackier

Magic is not allowed, under any circumstances — even if it could save someone’s life. Instead, there are herbal remedies and traditional techniques that have been painstakingly recorded in lieu of using the mystical arts. Fee knows this, so she keeps her magic a secret.

Except her best friend, Xavi, is deathly ill. He’s also the crown prince. Saving him is important, not only for her, but for the entire kingdom.

Fee’s desperation to save her friend means she can barely contain the magic inside her. And after the tiniest of slips, Fee is thrust into a dark and secretive world that is as alluring as it is dangerous.

If she gives in, it could mean she can save Xavi. But it also means that those who wish to snuff out magic might just snuff her out in the process.

I really wanted to love THE ANTIDOTE, but I had really a hard time staying interested while reading. The premise in the blurb fascinated me and there was a lot of potential, but the actual execution just failed to keep my attention. There were an incredible amount of twists and turns throughout, but I always felt like something was missing, some vital bits of information withheld that would have assuaged some of my confusion and better hooked me into the story. This just made the twists and turns feel a bit forced and over the top as if they were thrown in there to keep interest rather than any true reveal or substance.

Unfortunately, in the end the entire book was a large disconnect for me. I continued reading as the characters and the potential kept me hoping for a pay off in the end. But alas, even after finishing, I'm still left scratching my head at a few things as while the descriptions of things were extensive and almost flowery, they weren't ever actually made clear. Granted I'm not a huge fan of lyrical prose, instead preferring strong character driven plots, and a structured action-packed plot. So all in all, THE ANTIDOTE wasn't my cup of tea, but may be the perfect read for more whimsical and lyrical driven readers.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Between Dreams and Reality
Gizmo's Reviews
Mel to the Any

Review: Vengeance Road by Christine Feehan

, by KT

Vengeance Road by Christine Feehan

Torpedo Ink #2

Breezy Simmons was born into a ruthless motorcycle club—and now that she’s out, she’s never going to be that girl again. But when her past catches up with her, Breezy must go to Sea Haven to seek out the man who almost destroyed her. The man who chose his club over her and left her feeling used and alone.

As vice president of Torpedo Ink, Steele is ride or die for the brothers he lived through hell with. He never thought he’d find something as pure as his feelings for Breezy, or that keeping her safe would mean driving her away with cruel words that turned her love for him to ash.

Now, Steele won’t let her walk away twice. He’ll do whatever it takes to make Breezy his woman again—especially when he learns the real reason she came to him for help, and that the stakes are higher than he ever could have imagined…

Despite Christine Feehan being a huge name in the paranormal romance genre, I had never read one of her books. There's just too many books to read and too little time! However, the blurb for VENGEANCE ROAD sounded really interesting, so I figured no time like the present to try this new to me author that everyone else already knows. After reading this book, I have to say that I really enjoyed Christine's writing style and the rich depth of the story. It's a hefty book, and definitely feels fuller than most romances. I will say that I was surprised at how light the paranormal aspects of the book were. Think more light paranormal-esque rather than full PNR. But I didn't feel it detracted from the story at all, it just wasn't what I expected.

Onto the romance; I have to admit, the hero was just a bit too much for me in VENGEANCE ROAD, and because of that I had a hard time connecting to the romance. Don't get me wrong, I like a uber strong and protective alpha hero just as much as the next gal, but Steele, he's a whole another level of control freak. His past is explained throughout the book and the reasons for his almost insane need to keep Breezy in sights at all times made some logical sense. However, there were many times while reading this book that his action and behavior were just too much, and frankly made me feel uncomfortable. It's written in a way to try and paint it with Breezy being the perfect match for him and not caring about that level of control. And yet... I felt like screaming through the pages at her to RUN away as fast as she could it was just that intense. This unfortunately is just not a normal reaction while reading a romance novel, even when you love fierce and damaged alpha heros as much as I do. Steele was just too much for this romance lovers heart to overlook.

All in all, while I enjoyed the storytelling and the writing style of my first Christine Feehan read, I couldn't really connect to the story due to the hero and his all but abusive level of control. I'll definitely try other books from this author in the future as I felt like there was great potential while reading this book, but VENGEANCE ROAD itself just didn't work for me.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Romance Reader

Previous Books:
1. Judgement Road

Review: Evermore by Sara Holland

, by KT

Evermore by Sara Holland

Everless #2

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.

The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes are accounts of her own past. For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Everless. The premise, characters, and twisty-turns were all spot on. Considering it ended in a cliffhanger, I couldn't wait to get my hands on EVERMORE to see what happened next. Unfortunately my patience wasn't really rewarded in this case. EVERMORE felt like a completely different style of book, leaving me rather disappointed. There was little focus this time around on concept of blood time as currency, which I had found to be one of the most intriguing parts of the first book. This time around things focused almost entirely on Jules' plight to take down the sorceress. Unfortunately that led to a very meandering plot that lacked the pacing and momentum to keep my attention. I found myself skimming more often than not which is unfortunate. Also, there were a lot of vision sequences to the past that really bogged down the pacing. Some of the information/events they showed added to the story, but the pacing and execution just didn't work overall.

Unfortunately it also didn't help things in that I had no attachment to the budding romance. Something about the pairing just didn't work for me, and just felt forced. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers romances, but in this case, it just didn't work for me at all with Jules and Liam. Separately I like the characters a great deal (although Jules and her ridiculous impulsively bad decisions drove me batty), but together, they just didn't mesh in my opinion.

All in all, unfortunately EVERMORE just didn't work for me. I do think the author is very talented as evidenced by the first book, and I'll be eager to try new books from her in the future for a fresh start.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
The Book Prescription
Her Bookish Things
Gizmo's Reviews

Previous Books:
1. Everless

Review: Ashes Reborn by Keri Arthur

, by KT

Ashes Reborn by Keri Arthur

Souls of Fire #4

The clock is ticking as Emberly—a phoenix capable of taking human form—races to take revenge against the sadistic and mysterious Rinaldo. The elusive rebel leader threatens to keep killing until he is given all of the research about a plaguelike virus derived from vampire blood.

Forced to reach out to the Paranormal Investigations Team for help, Emberly and her partner, Jackson, must decide who to trust as they follow the trail of dead bodies. When classified information is leaked and their safe house is ambushed, Emberly’s suspicions are confirmed—someone at PIT has betrayed them.

A final battle looms and Emberly will need to command all her powers—or watch the world turn to ash...

Unfortunately this will not be a full review due to an event that completely overshadowed any enjoyment I had while reading other parts of the book. I will not spoil things, but suffice it to say that an incredibly horrifying sequence of events happens to Emberly that I couldn't get past. Actually it was more the aftermath and the way said events were all but brushed aside that left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth. It took me several days to finish the book, and honestly I really only continued reading due to a need to see if those events were ever really dealt with. Unfortunately they weren't. Furthermore, Emberly the victim, somehow got the least consideration, and the one who experienced the event as a by product got most of the focus and worry. I just couldn't, especially as the event did nothing at all to progress the story or plot. There were so many other outcomes and paths that could have been taken with a similar plot progression. It simply was unnecessary.

As much as I enjoy this series, and the characters, and Keri's writing overall, this book was just not for me. Perhaps I should be able to see past the event, but I just can't due to the way it was handled.
It almost pains me to rate one of my favorite author's books so low, but this one just was not up my alley. I will however hope to continue the series and just look past this book, giving things a clean slate.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Fangs for the Fantasy
Tome Tender

Previous Books:
1. Fireborn
2. Wicked Embers
3. Flameout

Early Review: The Immortals by Jordana Max Brodsky

, by KT

The Immortals by Jordana Max Brodsky

Olympus Bound #1

MANHATTAN HAS MANY SECRETS.
SOME ARE OLDER THAN THE CITY ITSELF.

Manhattan.
The city sleeps. Selene DiSilva walks her dog along the banks of the Hudson. She is alone-just the way she likes it. She doesn't believe in friends, and she doesn't speak to her family. Most of them are simply too dangerous.

Murders.
In the predawn calm, Selene finds the body of a young woman washed ashore, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. Her ancient rage returns. And so does the memory of a promise she made long ago. To protect the innocent-and to punish those who stand in her way.

Gods.
With the NYPD out of its depth, Selene vows to hunt the killer on her own. But when classics professor Theo Schultz decodes the ancient myth behind the crime, the solitary Huntress finds herself working with a man who's her opposite in every way. Together, they face a long-forgotten cult that lies behind a string of murders, and they'll need help from the one source Selene distrusts most of all: the city's other Immortals.

I had a really hard time with this one. So much so that I found myself continually skimming large parts and considered not finishing more than a few times. I mustered through however as the plot had intrigued me enough to see how everything played out, but it wasn't the smoothest of reads for various reasons. The largest being how flat the characters were, specifically the main character, Selene. Everything about her was wooden and completely flat. It's like all the personality had been sucked out of her, aside from her firm belief that all men are evil. She's supposedly the protector of the innocent, but somehow that only seems to apply to women, and even then she looks upon the ones she saves with contempt.

Now onto the thing that kept me reading, the mystery behind the plotline. I was hooked enough to want to find out the root of the evil rituals and see who was behind it all. Unfortunately despite being intrigued, this didn't make the plot progression exciting or engrossing. Far from it in fact. This is a rather long book, and honestly I feel a lot could have been condensed as again it all seemed flat, plot included. That being said, the twist at the end did make things rather interesting and did help soften the blow of my frustration.

Perhaps I should have DNF this book, but the greek mythology and mystery hooked me enough to stick around. I guess I kept hoping for it to redeem itself, and unfortunately that just didn't happen. Take my review with a grain of salt as looking over other reviews, it seems while some disliked the book like myself, a good bit absolutely loved it, so depending on your reading preference you might enjoy this. But in the end it's simply not for me.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Miss Em Recommends
The Literati Press
Civilian Reader

Early Review: Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson

, by KT

Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson

Odea Donahue has been able to travel through people’s dreams since she was six years old. Her mother taught her the three rules of walking: Never interfere. Never be seen. Never walk the same person’s dream more than once. Dea has never questioned her mother, not about the rules, not about the clocks or the mirrors, not about moving from place to place to be one step ahead of the unseen monsters that Dea’s mother is certain are right behind them.

Then a mysterious new boy, Connor, comes to town and Dea finally starts to feel normal. As Connor breaks down the walls that she’s had up for so long, he gets closer to learning her secret. For the first time she wonders if that’s so bad. But when Dea breaks the rules, the boundary between worlds begins to deteriorate. How can she know what’s real and what’s not?

I have really mixed feelings about DREAMLAND. The premise was really interesting but the actual execution didn't quite live up to it. While I was kept engaged by the book for most of the read, I felt like there really wasn't a lot of momentum. Things that should have been focused on, weren't, and things that I feel mattered much less stayed front and center. It was rather frustrating at times. Even so, all could have been forgiven if the portrayal and focus on the Dreamland had of been different, or more. For a book with this kind of premise, I just expected a lot more attention and explanation to be tied to it. It just was a let down to be honest.

Onto the characters, I can't say that I really connected fully with any of them. Odea can't across as a petulant child at times, keeping everyone including her mother at arms length. And while a part of me understands Odea's rebellion due to the circumstances, it just rang a bit false. This non-connection came strongly through the book and despite the budding romance, most the characters felt flat.

Overall despite being engaged enough to keep reading, this one just didn't work for me. I wanted so much more and while there were parts and glimpses at that great person hinted to in the premise, ultimately it fell flat.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Fluttering Butterflys
Novels and Necklaces
MC's Corner

Early Review: Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

, by KT

Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Seeker #1

Quin Kincaid has been put through years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a revered ‘Seeker’.

Only when it’s too late does she discover she will be using her new-found knowledge and training to become an assassin. Quin's new role will take her around the globe, from a remote estate in Scotland to a bustling, futuristic Hong Kong where the past she thought she had escaped will finally catch up with her.

Right off the bat I have to express frustrations with the marketing on this book. It was pitched to me as The Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones. When I read that I was sold 100%. Sure after reading the blurb, I was a bit iffy on it, but with that comparison, I figured I couldn't go wrong. Well, I was wrong. The book is nothing, and I do mean nothing like either comparison, and that false marketing really soured things for me, but even so I kept reading thinking it would turn around and I would see what the raving was about. Unfortunately it didn't.

At times it felt like only half the story was being told, leaving the reader to try and fill in the rest, which left me rather frustrated and unsatisfied. I just felt like there was so much going on that was never explained leaving me feeling a step behind pet much throughout the entire book. Granted, the world and concept were intriguing even if the cast of characters weren't exactly strong, so it was rather disappointing with the lack of real details or explanation. In fact all of it was rather convoluted which frankly was unnecessary. So much seemed to go on off page and only briefly mentioned then glossed over yet it was supposed to play this huge role in how the characters acted. That just didn't work for me. I still don't understand much of this works even after finishing the book, and it's frankly a shame. There was so much potential here that ultimately fell flat for me.

To be honest I'm not sure why I kept reading this one. I guess I kept waiting for it to turn around and I remember thinking, you made it this far, might as well continue to see what happens. Problem is that it doesn't really start going anywhere until about the 70% mark in this longer YA. That's a lot of pages to get through just to get involved in the story. It's a shame because there was potential here, but the end result just wasn't for me.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
The Starry-Eyed Revue
The Eater of Books!
The Reading Diaries

Early Review: Panther Prowling by Yasmine Galenorn

, by KT

Priestess Dreaming by Yasmine Galenorn

Otherworld #17

We’re the D’Artigo sisters: savvy half-human, half-Fae operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch with three gorgeous husbands. Menolly is a vampire married to a werepuma. And me? I’m Delilah, a two-faced werecat and a Death Maiden. While the war in Otherworld is expanding, so is my newly renamed PI business. And my next case is about to make life very interesting…

While waiting for Shadow Wing’s next move, I decide to revamp my ragtag PI agency into the Cat’s Eye Investigations firm. My first client turns out to be our cousin Daniel. During the grand reopening for the Wayfarer, he shows up while being chased by a rampaging ghost. Daniel has procured a rare and valuable sword, and a ring of ghostly warriors comes attached to it. Protectors of the soul trapped within it, the spirits are out to stop anybody who threatens the weapon. As my sisters and I unravel the history of the sword, we quickly realize that the entity locked within the blade is a dangerous king from times gone by—and he’s about to break free and try to recover his crown…

I've noticed a pattern with this series. I enjoy Camille's installments by far the most, and Menolly's are pretty enjoyable as well. However, Delilah's seem to be very hit or miss for me. I just don't identify with her at all, and despite how long this series has been running, she seems to have made very little progress in character growth. No matter what happens, she just wants to turn tail and hide, and while she doesn't actually do so, the constant inner debate about it has become tiresome and tedious. It seems that any mention of responsibility or "growing" is met with an inner (or outer) debate on how she wishes they could just all escape this. The other two seem to have better accepted their lots in life, so it just rubs me the wrong way that Delilah still has not.

As I said, Delilah's books are largely hit or miss for me, with the "hits" being dependant on a great plot. Unfortunately this time around, the plot just didn't suck me in enough. A rouge sword spirit? It just didn't work as a real threat. Frankly, that's a shame as the result of this showdown may have cost one of the main characters more than any other threat has before. I won't spoil it, but the danger/consequence had the worst lasting impact of anything they had faced, and yet despite all that it barely affected me. Considering what happened, I should have been devastated alongside the characters, but it felt two-dimensional rather than three, and frankly I felt cheated by this. Perhaps it's because they were wishy washy and vague about what actually happened and how permanent it would be. So, I'm left wondering if it's a real consequence or not, overall lessening the impact.

I have to wonder if this series just has been running too long. Granted most times I'm the first to be upset when favorite series end, but this time around I think it might be past due. I just feel like the books have departed so far from the original series ARC, and no longer focus on the spirit seals and the real war that each new installment feels more and more like filler material. Maybe I'm wrong, and once things get back to Camille and Menolly, and hopefully the spirit seals quest I'll enjoy the reads more, but for PANTHER PROWLING, it just didn't work enough for me.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Previous Books:

1. Witchling

2. Changeling

3. Darkling

4. Dragon Wytch

5. Night Huntress

6. Demon Mistress

7. Bone Magic

8. Harvest Hunting

9. Blood Wyne

10. Courting Darkness

11. Shaded Vision

12. Shadow Rising

13. Haunted Moon

14. Autumn Whispers

15. Crimson Veil

15.5. Flight from Hell

16. Priestess Dreaming

Kirsten Reviews: Captive by A.D. Robertson

, by KT

Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade

Forbidden Side of Nightshade #1

The first adult novel set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade series, Captive delivers a steamy, forbidden romance between sworn enemies drawn together by an irrepressible desire.

Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle.

But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign.

Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history. The first of three erotic novels, Captive delves deeply into the fiery, illicit romance of two young lovers whose very desires invite their doom.

A.D. Robertson’s Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade is the first book in a series that takes place in the same word as those written by the author under the pseudonym of Andrea Cremer, and which pits the descendant of witches against a human, in hopes of creating sparks and conflict - to only partial success.

Tristan Doran is the descendant of the Keepers, witches who have embraced dark magic, and has been excluded from a war that has lasted centuries because his bloodline is too valuable to lose.

Sarah, a human Searcher is the catalyst to push Tristan into the thick of things. When she is taken prisoner, he becomes infatuated, and the clichés are easy to see coming. It should not come as any surprise that it’s the attraction, and emotional bond between Tristan and Sarah that is the linchpin of a prophecy that predicts the end of the Keepers’ reign of power.

The book has a range of different beings and characters, including lupine warriors, witches, and humans somehow in the middle of everything and tipping the scales. This has been billed by some as a YA novel, but it’s more accurate to say that it’s the ‘adult side’ of the world of Nightshade, and has far more in common with erotic novels than most YA out there.

All told, Captive did more telling than showing, overused plot devices, and was full of scenes that felt overly dramatic, or underplayed things too much. It was, to put it mildly, very uneven. Fans of the author’s other books may enjoy seeing her branch out into a different direction, but new readers may not find it as palatable.
(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Head Stuck in a Book
Books-n-Kisses
Bookish

Review: Ghost Layer by Robin D. Owens

, by KT

Ghost Layer by Robin D. Owens

Ghost Seer #2

Clare Cermak’s adjusting to a new man in her life—and a lot of ghosts. The passing of Clare’s aunt gave way to a sizeable inheritance of not only money, but also the ability to communicate with the dead. At the same time, she met Zach Slade, a private detective with a rough past, and just like Clare, he’s not yet ready to accept her gift—or his own.

But Clare has another matter to look into. A multimillionaire needs her help after relocating an old ghost town to his mountain estate. The bones of a murdered prospector are making nightly appearances in his guests’ beds. When the gold miner’s ghost contacts Clare, she promises to help find the name of his killer—but someone doesn't want the past revealed and might find her first…

Ghost Layer while enjoyable on the surface, suffered from some underlying issues that kept me from getting sucked into the story as much as I would like. The overall premise is interesting, but I don't think enough is being revealed or explained to really hold my attention. There's this outside influence that's controlling the strings, but it's rather infuriating to be honest. It threatens Clare despite her moving towards accepting her new fate of seeing ghosts, because she's not "progressing as she should" yet it doesn't give her any information either. I'm just a fan of hypocrisy like that. But on the flip side, Clare does seem to be overly obtuse in that she doesn't seem to learn from anything. It's the same actions and mistakes over and over, leaving me more than a bit frustrated. And yes, which she's moving towards accepting her fate, it is slow going, and at times she just seemed petulant, which just isn't an attractive character trait.

I could have overlooked the frustrating world and heroine if the romance had been stronger. Sure there was plenty of heat in the bedroom aspects, but it just felt forced. Almost like it was missing a spark or that oomph to make it substantial. The chemistry just wasn't there, and it was a case of telling not showing to be honest. I just want more from the romance department in my books. I want to be swept off my feet right along with the characters, and that just wasn't the case here.

In the end GHOST LAYER was a a mediocre read for me. While it wasn't a struggle to keep reading, I was easily distracted and wound up putting it down more frequently as I wasn't sucked in enough to be consumed but the read. I think I'll give this series one more shot, and hopefully the next one will grab me more.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
The Book Pushers
Rabid Reads
Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Previous Books:
1. Ghost Seer